Yarn guide for winding machine



July 19, 1966 R. 1. WALDEN YARN GUIDE FOR WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8,1964 lNl/ENTOI? R/CHARD l. WAL DEN A T TOPNE Y5 United States Patentchusetts Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,836

8 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) The present invention relates to yarn guides fortextile winding machines and is concerned more specifically with a yarnguide adapted to temporarily engage a moving strand of yarn and, afterpassage of a predetermined interval, to release the strand. It may, forexample, find application to a winding machine having a constantlytraversing means and a package which must achieve normal rotating speedfrom rest position, the yarn guide of the invention directing the yarnto the package until normal speed has been reached and then releasingthe yarn to the traversing means.

In US. Patent 2,764,362 to Goodhue et al. entitled Winding Machine,issued September 25, 1956 there is disclosed and claimed a fullyautomatic winding machine for winding yarn, or the like, into variousforms of packages, especially cones. In essence, the machine of thispatent consists of a winding section including a winding mandrel mountedfor controlled movement between a winding position, a braking position,and a reverse rotation position and a driving drum for the windingmandrel which is provided with an endless groove to traverse the yarnbeing wound upon the mandrel; an end-finding and re-uniting section,operable in the event of thread breakage, including a knotter andseparate means for finding the respective free ends of the broken yarnand for conveying them to the knotter to be joined together; apreliminary yarn servicing section including means for detecting,tensioning and cleaning the yarn supplied to the mandrel; and anenclosed control section for superintending the various other sectionsand controlling the functioning thereof. In the arrangement of thepatent, the yarn knotter was supported on a part of the machine frame ata site slightly forwardly and adajacent to one end of the windingmandrel and thedriving drum therefor.

As already indicated, upon thread breakage during the winding operation,the machine was equipped with means for locating both of the free endsof the broken yarn and for delivering these ends to the knotter, which,after re-uniting the ends, released the yarn to the traversing groove ofthe driving drum, whereby winding could proceed as before. During theend-finding sequence and incidentally thereto, the winding mandrel wasrotated first to braking position to halt its forward rotation and thento reverse rotation position at which the mandrel was rotated backwardlyto allow the delivery end of the broken thread to be extricated from thewound convolutions of the package on the mandrel, engaged by a suitablydesigned device and delivered to the knotter. When the yarn ends werere-united by the knotter, the winding mandrel was moved to brakingposition to halt reverse rotation and then to winding position toreinitiate normal advance of the thread onto the package. All the whilethese several operations were being performed, the rotation of thegrooved driving roll proceeded at full speed with the result that whenthe thread was released by the knotter, it was immediately engaged bythe groove of the roll and traversed back and forth onto the package atthe same rate as for normal winding. However, the timing of the releaseof the yarn from the knotter coincided substantially with the movementof the winding mandrel to normal winding position, at which stage thewinding mandrel had essentially zero speed of rotation and anappreciable interval necessarily had to pass before the mandrel hadaccelerated to normal operating speed "ice by virtue of frictionalcontact with the peripheral surface of the driving drum.

During this interval, the yarn was being traversed at the regular ratebut was being advanced, at least in the beginning, at a much reducedrate. Consequently, instead of being wound in the usual convolutionsupon the package, the yarn was merely zig-zagged in the closely spacedloops, i.e., laid in a compressed sinuous pattern, on the packageperiphery with the period of the loops growing longer and longer untilthe package had finally achieved normal take-up speed to lay down theconvolutions in the normal pattern. The existence on the package of suchzig-zagged loops was found to be quite objectionable when the yarn wasprocessed subsequently, as during weaving, rewinding, etc., since theynaturally tended to introduce unexpected slack as well as to slulf offthe package and form snarls or become entangled in parts of the machine.

There are several Ways in which a solution to this problem could beapproached. For example, the rotation of the driving drum could bechecked during the end-finding cycle and then restarted in timedrelation to the return of the winding mandrel to the winding position,or the yarn knotter could be designed so as to retain the yarntemporarily and deliver the same to the traverse roll only when thepackage was up to speed. However, it will be rather obvious that eitherof these approaches would require rather complex mechanism carefullyintegrated with the yarn end-finding cycle and add measurably to thecomplexity of an already highly complicated machine.

A further solution is set forth in US. Patent 3,055,602, to Carlton A.Steele, entitled Yarn Guide With Delayed Yarn Release for WindingMachines, issued September 25, 1962. In this patent, there is disclosedand claimed a supplementary yarn guide member interposed between theknotter and the traverse roll for receiving the united strand from theknotter and holding it out of its normal path and in spaced relationshipto the traversing roll a predetermined period to permit the windingpackage .to attain winding speed whereafter the yarn is released to saidtraversing roll. The supplementary yarn guide as disclosed in the patentjust cited takes the form of a grooved tubular member and the intervalfor which the yarn is delayed between the time it is released from theknotter and deposited into the traverse roll is determined by threeconditions: The speed of travel of the yarn, the lead angle of thehelical groove, and the effective length of the supplementary yarnguide. While the supplementary yarn guide of the US. patent just citedhas proved highly elfective in use, it has been found that when a ratherlarge mass of yarn is wound on the winding mandrel and the mandrel issubsequently moved through the end-finding sequence already describedthe package may not have attained its normal operating speed, due to thegreater inertia of this larger package, before the yarn is released fromthe supplementary yarn guide to said roll. In such event the yarn mayzig-zag in the undesirable pattern already alluded to hereinbefore.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a simpledevice which is adapted to receive the yarn from the knotter afterreunion of the broken ends thereof and temporarily supplant the grooveddriving roll as the guiding means for the yarn until the package hasregained normal speed of rotation.

Another object of the present invention is a delayed action yarn guidemechanism upon which the yarn is deposited by the knotter of anautomatic winding machine, said guide being adapted to retain the yarnthereon until the passage of a suitable interval of time to allow thepackage being wound to achieve normal speed of rotation and thendischarge the yarn onto the periphery of the traverse roll for deliveryto the normally rotating package.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elongated tubularguide having a helical groove on the periphery thereof and supported atone end from the frame of the winding machine for free rotation withrespect thereto, the lead angle of said groove being inclined forwardlyand outwardly toward the supported end, the axis of rotation of thetubular member extend-ing in spaced parallel relationship to the axis ofthe traverse roll of the machine to maintain the path of the yarnpassing over the guide out of the endless groove of the traverse roll,the opposite end of the tubular member terminating within thelongitudinal confines of the traverse roll, whereby yarn deposited onthe roller between its ends will engage the peripheral helical grooveand cause the tubular member to rotate as the yarn advances, rotation ofthe member result-ing in the yarn being displaced axially of the memberaway from the supported end, and means for receiving the yarn after itsinitial passage along said tubular member to redeposit the yarn on saidtubular member adjacent the supported end of said member once again tocause the yarn to advance over the tubular guide a second time, the yarnfinally dropping oft the opposite end of the traverse roll.

These and other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdetatiled description when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of the improved yarn guide means ofthe present invention in operative association with a winding mandrel, agrooved package driving and yarn traverse roll, and a yarn knotter of awinding machine, parts of the present invention being shown in theiroperative, loaded positions; and

FIG. 2 is a right end view of the arrangement of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating parts ofthe invention in their inoperative, unloaded positions; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating parts of theinvention in the position assumed as loading of the mechanism iscompleted and prior to retraction of the loading arm; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the mechanism of the instant invention.

Before beginning the detailed description of the guide of the invention,attention should perhaps be directed to the fact that while the guidewas particularly designed for use in association with the windingmachine of U.S. Patent 2,764,362 and, for purposes of illustration, isshown in connection with the related components of such a machine, it isadapted to be employed with other types of winding machines as well andwill, in fact, find application with any system for winding yarn whichincludes a constantly moving yarn traverse member, whether in the formof a groove roller or otherwise, and a winding mandrel which at sometime during the winding operation must achieve winding speed fromessentially a rest condition.

Turning now to a detailed description of the invention, there is shownin the drawings only enough of the related structure of the machine ofU.S. Patent 2,764,362 as is necessary to an understanding of theapplication of the present invention thereto. Thus, numeral 16designates the delivery package being wound upon a conical yarn holder12 supported on a winding mandrel 14. Mandrel 14 is mounted for rotationupon a shaft 16 which is connected to the remainder of the windingsection machine (not shown) in such a way as to permit the package togrow in size as the yarn Y is wound thereon. In the drawings, themachine is set up for the winding of a conical package or cop but itwill be appreciated that other shapes and types of factors could bewound as well by replacing the conical mandrel and yarn holder withother mandrels and holders appropriate to the formation of theparticular package desired.

Package 10, holder 12, and mandrel 14 are adapted to be rotated byfrictional contact of the package surface with the periphery of anelongated cylindrical driving drum or roll 18 disposed upon a shaft 20for rotation therewith. As already indicated, shaft 20 is subject toconstant rotation, the means by which the shaft is driven being omittedhere. Dru-m 18 is provided on its periphery with an endless groove 22which is adapted to engage the yarn being delivered to package 10 andtraverse that yarn back and forth lengthwise of the package, the axis ofthe drum being disposed, for that reason, generally at right angles tothe path of the yarn to package 10.

Rearwardly of drum 18, i.e., to the right in FIG. 2, there is provided arest plate 19 onto which the package is moved, by means not shown, inorder to bring the package to rest when yarn flow is interrupted.Eventually, when yarn continuity is re-established, the package isreturned to contact with driving drum 18 to be brought again to windingspeed thereby. Additional movement can be imparted to the packageintermediate the two stages just mentioned, as is explained in U.S.Patent 2,764,- 362, but such movement has no bearing on the presentsubject matter, and is not described here.

Located adjacent the left end (FIG. 1) of package 10 and drum 18 is avertically arranged bracket 24 forming a part of the rigid frame for thewinding machine, only the upper end of that bracket being visible in thedrawing-s. Attached to this end of bracket 24 is a yarn knotter 26comprising a box-like housing containing the operative mechanism of theknotter and an arcuate bill 28 projecting from the side of housing 26proximate to the package and driving roll. The major portion of thevertical dimension of housing 26 lies above the axis of drum 18, andbill 28 projects from a point adjacent the upper end of the housingdownwardly and endwardly generally in the direction of the midpoint ofdrum 18 but terminates somewhat above the level of the uppermost pointof the drum periphery. The details of the knotter 26 form no part of thepresent invention but may be, and preferably are, substantially the sameas those disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent 2,670,230 to Goodhue. Forpurposes of clarity of understanding of the present invention, however,it will serve to point out that knotter 26 includes a verticallyoriented rack-bar 30 which is slidable in a vertical path in response torotation of a tooth pinion 32 fixed on a rotatable shaft 34. The lowerend of rackbar 30 is provided with an angular arm 38 which extends intothe plane of traverse roll 18 and lays substantially parallel with theaxis of said traverse roll. The outer end of arm 38 has a pin 40embedded therein and extending inwardly toward traverse roll 18. Thusfar, the description has been confined essentially to the parts of thewinding machine disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent 2,764,362, which,in themselves, have no essential rela tion to the present inventionexcept to establish a context for the description thereof.

In accordance with the present invention a generally V-shaped supportmember 44 is fixed at its inner edge, i.e., its lefthand edge as viewedin FIG. 1, to frame bracket 24. The upper opposite ends of supportmember 44 are directed inwardly to form opposed bearing surfaces one ofwhich is shown at 46, to receive the opposite ends of an elongatedtubular member 50 and support said tubular member for free rotationtherebetween. Tubular member 50 may be, and preferably is, substantiallythe same as that disclosed and claim-ed in U.S. Patent 3,055,602 andreference should be bad to that patent for further details of theconstruction and operation of tubular member 50. It will sufiice here tonote that tubular member 50 has a helically grooved periphery 52, thepurpose of which is to receive the re-united strand of yarn which haseen joined at knotter 26 and delivered thereto via bill 28. The strandof yarn finds its way into a portion of groove 52 and causes member 50to rotate by virtue of frictional engagement of the strand with thegroove sidewalls, such rotation, due to the inclination of the groove,gradually advancing the strand along the length of member 50, from leftto right as viewed in FIG. 1, until it passes off the outer end thereofand descends onto the periphery of drum 18 to be engaged by groove 22and traversed onto package 10.

Support member 44 is provided with an appendage 56 which has a post 58embedded therein. A rather irregularly shaped plate or yarn carrier 60is mounted on post 58 for rocking movement thereabout and is retained onsaid post by a clamp ring 62. A torsion spring 64 surrounds post 58 andhas one end hooked about a wall of appendage 56 with the opposite end ofthe spring connected to yarn carrier 60'. Spring 64 acts to bias yarncarrier 60 about post 58 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed inFIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

The movement of yarn carrier 60 in a clockwise direction (FIGS. 1, 3 and4) is controlled by upward movement of pin 40 which engages with a foot66 folded inwardly from the lower end of said yarn carrier. As fullyexplained in the earlier cited U.S. Patent 2,764,362, as knotter 26 isprepared for its knot-tying operation, rack-bar 30 is elevated by pinion32. This motion causes arm 38 to travel upwardly carrying pin 40 intocontact with foot 66 and causing yarn carrier 60 to rock in a clockwisesense about post 53.

To the end that yarn carrier 60 may be yieldably held in its operativeor loaded position to operate in a fashion to displace the yarn from theouter end of member 50, i.e., from the end remote from knotter 26, tothe inner section thereon, i.e., the section proximate to knotter 26,there is provided a latch or trigger 70 which includes a U-shapedbearing section 72 at one of its ends having suitable holes piercedtherethrough to loosely receive a stud 74 about which the trigger isrockable. Stud 74 is affixed to member 44. A clamp ring 75 snaps on theouter end of stud 74 to hold trigger 70' on the stud. The opposite endof trigger 70 is upturned and terminates in a yarn engaging bail 76which normally lays in the horizontal plane of and closely adjacent tomember 50. The medial portion of trigger 70 is bent to a generallyhorizontal section which provides a detent 78 for engaging a shoulder 80formed in one side of yarn carrier 60. The lower edge of trigger 70adjacent bearing section 72 is folded downward and outward as an ear 82which is engagea-ble with a camming pin 84 protruding inwardly from theinterior side of yarn carrier 60. In a manner to be further describedhereafter, pin 84 is operable to rock trigger 70 clockwise as yarncarrier 60 rocks counter clockwise (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4). A rather lightspring 86 is supported on stud 74 with One of its ends bearing againstbearing section 72 of trigger 70 and the opposite end of the springwrapped about a pin 88 protruding from the side of member 44. Spring 86serves to bias trigger 70 in a counterclockwise direction about stud 74(FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). The limit of such counterclockwise movement oftrigger 70 under the influence of spring 86 is controlled as the edge 90of said trigger strikes against pin 88. In this position bail 76 isessentially parallel with member 50 and disposed in the horizontal planethereof, see FIGS. 1 and 4. Obviously, spring 86 can be selected toafford any desired force within reasonable limits tourge trigger 70against pin 88. However, as will be more fully explained hereafter, itis necessary that the tension in the winding yarn overcome the force ofsaid spring 86 in order to release yarn carrier 60 from engaging withtrigger 70. Thus, spring 86, in the usual case, is selected so as toprovide adequate biasing force to hold detent 78 in engagement withshoulder 80, yet to be yieldable under somewhat less than the averageoperating tension in yarn being wound so as to effect release of yarncarrier 60 from trigger '70.

When yarn carrier 60 and trigger 70 are interlocked by virtue ofengagement of shoulder with detent 78 the upper surface 92 of saidcarrier is situated in the horizontal plane of tubular member 50, saidsurface 92 being disposed between bail 76 and member 50. Moreover,surface 92 is slightly inclined from left to right (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4) inorder that the yarn travelling along member 50 can engage readily onsaid surface. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the upper edge of bail 76 isslightly elevated over surface 92 in the horizontal plane therebycausing the yarn being advanced along tubular member 50 and alongsurface 92 to travel eventually onto bail 76 and thereby depress trigger70 to release yarn carrier 60 for counterclockwise movement.

Upon release of yarn carrier 60 from trigger 70, the strand of yarnengaged in the groove 52 of tubular member 50 is lifted upwardly andredeposi-ted in the groove 52 of said member at the end adjacent knotter26. A yarn engaging finger 94 is arranged at the upper end of. yarncarrier 60, said finger projecting upwardly above surface 92 in order toengage the yarn in cooperation with said surface 92 to carry the yarn tothe inner end of tubular member 50. Finger 94 is rock-ably supported ona shank 96 which has a hole therethrough to loosely receive a rivet 98connecting it with yarn carrier 60. A light torsion spring 100 isattached at one end to a tab 102 folded inwardly from shank 96. Theopposing end of spring 100 is bent inwardly through a small aperture inthe side of yarn carrier 60 so that said spring 100 is operative to biasfinger 94 and its companion shank 96 counterclockwise (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4)on rivet 98. An ear 104 is bent outwardly from shank 96 to engage theupper end of yarn carrier 60 to limit thecounterclockwise movement ofshank 96. In order that the yarn may be released from finger 94 to slideoff surface 92 after the yarn has been delivered to the inner end oftubular member 50, the finger is cammed downward below the plane ofsurface 92. For this purpose a pin 106 is fixed in the side of member44, said pin laying in the rotary path of travel of tab 102. As shank 96is moved due to counterclockwise movement of carrier 60 tab 102 abutsagainst pin 106. Consequently, shank 96 is rocked clockwise (FIGS. 1, 3and 4) on rivet 98 to depress finger 94 below the margin of surface 92.Pin 106 isalso operative to arrest counterclockwise movement of yarncarrier 60. Thus, a pin 108 is fastened in the side of yarn carrier 60and protrudes inwardly, laying in the plane of tab 102. As said tab 102bears against pin 106, said pin 108 engages against the opposite side ofthe tab to prevent further movement past said pin 106 by the yarncarrier.

To the end that the yarn Y may be guided onto surface 92 and over bail76 a guide bar 110 is afiixed to bracket 24 and extends laterallytherefrom parallel to tubular member 50. The upper edge of guide bar 110is situated generally in the plane of surface 92, but is locatedsomewhat forwardly of yarn carrier 60, as best seen in FIG. 2.

It is believed that the operation of the foregoing mechanism will bequite apparent from the preceding description. However, a summary of theoperation will now be presented.

In the manner fully set forth in US. Patent 2,764,362 an interruptedstrand of yarn is re-un-ited at knotter 26 whereafter the yarn isreleased for descending, sliding movement over bill 28. Tubular member50 intercepts the yarn Y and provides the function of guiding the yarnoutwardly, axially of said member 50, at a predetermined rate toeventually discharge the yarn Y off the outer end thereof onto traversedrum 28 all as fully set forth in US. Patent 3,055,602. As has alreadybeen stated, as a first incident of preparing the knotter for unitingthe ends of the yarn strand pinion 32 is rotated to raise rack-bar 30.In consequence thereof arm 38 is elevated causing pin 40 to rise andabut against foot 66. Further elevating movement of arm 38 causes yarncarrier 60 to rock clockwise around post 58. Simultaneously therewith,trigger 70 is relieved of the pressure of pin 84 against ear 82,whereupon spring 86 rocks said trigger counterclockwise about stud 74.As surface 92 and hail 76 arrive at substantially horizontal positionsshoulder 80 slides over detent 78, the detent snapping upward by spring86 to yieldably secure yarn carrier 60 and trigger 70 together, as shownin FIG. 4. By virtue of the clockwise motion of yarn carrier 60 as justdescribed tab 102 is released from contact with pin 106 whereby springelevates ear 94 to a position raised .above surface 92. Arm 38 thereupondescends away from foot 66. Thus, the mechanism is set in its operative,cocked position as illustrated in FIG. 1.

With the mechanism so arranged the yarn ends are united at knotter 26and the yarn laid in groove 52 of tubular member 50 in the fashionalready mentioned. Consequently the yarn Y travels through groove 52 ata predetermined rate, eventually engaging on surface 92. During thisinitial travel of said yarn along tubular member 50 it is delivered overguide-bar 110 to insure that the yarn will be guided into engagementwith surface 92, such placement of the yarn Y being achieved as the yarnis delivered to the knotter by the yarn delivery means therefore fullydescribed in the earlier cited Goodh-ue et al. patent.

Since the yarn Y continues in groove 52 as it engages surface 92, theyarn slides along said surface and eventually rides upon bail 76. Atthis time the yarn Y, which is under tension, depresses bail 76releasing detent 78 from shoulder 80 and, in eiiect, firing the trigger70. Consequently, yarn carrier 60 snaps counterclockwise under theinfluence of spring 64. The yarn strand becomes caught at theintersection of surface 92 and ear 94 and is delivered to the inner endof tubular member 50 adjacent kno-tter 26 to be deposited in groove 52thereof whereupon the yarn Y commences a further pass axially of saidtubular member. Ear 94 is cammed out of engagement with the yarn Y astab 102 engages pin 106. Moreover, trigger 70 is rocked clockwise onstud 74 to clear the path for the yarn during its second pass alongtubular member 50, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The mechanism thus remainsin this inoperative position until arm 38 is once again elevated as partof a yarn remn-iting cycle. By virtue of the fact that guide-bar 110 isslightly shorter than the intersecting point of car 94 and surface 92,the yarn Y is directed under said guide-bar on its second pass alongtubular member 50.

It has already been stated that an additional passage of the yarn Y overtubular member 50 as contemplated by the instant invention isadvantageous in gaining additional time during which package can beaccelerated to its winding speed. The weight of such packages is, ofcourse, a paramount consideration in the time-speed relationship. Inlighter packages of yarn it may occur that one pass of the yarn alongthe tubular member 50 will afford all the time that is required toaccelerate the package. In this event the tension in the winding strandof yarn Y will have increased to a value desired to wind the packagewith suitable density characteristics. By selecting spring 100 to exerta sufficiently light force which can be overcome by the full windingtension the present invention is operable, under appropriate conditions,to provide but a single pass of the yarn over tubular member 50. Thus,once again reverting to the instant when trigger 70 is fired to releaseyarn carrier 70, .as already described, ear 94 is swung into abruptengagement with the yarn strand. However, since it is now assumed thatthe package has accelerated to its normal operating speed and,therefore, the tension in the yarn has attained its normal winding valueand, further, since spring 100 is overcome by this tension, ear 94 isdepressed by the yarn and yarn carrier 60 rocks counterclockwisedisengaged from the yarn. The yarn simply continues its outward movementin groove 52 and is discharged into groove 22 of drum after but a singlepass over tubular member 50.

From what has been said it will be appreciated that the presentinvention provides a simple and inexpensive solution to the problem ofavoiding undesirable formation of zig-Zag loops on the wound packageduring the endfinding cycle of an automatic winding machine, even in thepresence of heavy yarn packages requiring greater time to overcome theproportionally greater inertia, and acclerate to winding speed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for winding a strand of yarn onto a rotating package andincluding traverse means for directing said strand onto said package,wherein said package is brought from rest condition up to speed whilesaid traverse means is moving, the improvement therein comprising; anelongated member having a yarn receiving section adapted to receive saidstrand for delivery to said traverse means, a yarn discharge end forreleasing said strand to said traverse means, and means for advancingsaid strand from the receiving section to the discharge end; sensingmeans for engaging said strand during its initial advance toward saiddischarge end; and a yarn carrier operable in response to engagement ofsaid yarn with said sensing means to redeposit said strand on saidreceiving section whereby to induce further advance of said strand fromsaid receiving section to said discharge end of said member.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includesa detent for engaging and holding said carrier in an inactive position,said detent being released in response to engagement of said yarn withsaid sensing means to free said carrier for operation to redeposit saidstrand on said receiving section.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said yarn carrier includesa finger for engaging said strand, and a surface for guiding said strandto said finger; and cam means for releasing said finger from said strandwhen the strand is redeposited on said receiving section.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 including resilient means forbiasing said finger to an operative position to engage said strand, saidfinger being movable to an inoperative position to release said strandtherefrom when the tension in the strand exceeds a predetermined valuewhereby said strand continues its initial advance toward said dischargeend.

5. On an automatic winding machine for winding a strand of yarn onto arotatably driven package of the type wherein said package is brought torest in the event of an interruption in said strand during the windingoperation and is brought up to winding speed when continuity of thestrand is re-established, said machine including traversing means fortraversing the winding strand longitudinally of the package, aknot-tying device spaced from the normal path of the strand duringwinding to unite the strand after an interruption in said strand andyarn guide means associated with said knot-tying device and terminatingabove the normal strand path; the combination therewith of asupplementary yarn guide interposed between said yarn guide means andsaid traversing means for receiving said united strand from said yarnguide means to hold said strand out of its normal path in spacedrelationship to said traversing means, said supplementary yarn guidebeing adapted to move said strand from a yarn receiving section thereofto a yarn discharge end thereof for release to said traversing .means,both said yarn receiving section and said discharge end being locatedwithin the longitudinal confines of said traversing means, saidsupplementary yarn guide having a portion intermediate said yarnreceiving section and said discharge end to retard the advance of thestrand along said supplementary yarn guide and retain the strand on thesupplementary yarn guide for a predetermined period of time, sensingmeans for engaging said strand during its initial advance toward saiddischarge end, and a yarn carrier operable in response to engagement ofsaid yarn by said sensing means to redeposit said strand on saidreceiving section whereby to induce further advance of said strand fromsaid receiving section to said discharge end of said supplementary yarnguide.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sensing means includesa detent for engaging and holding said carrier in an inactive position,said detent being released in response to engagement of the yarn withsaid sensing means to free said carrier for operation to redeposit saidstrand on said receiving section.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said yarn carrier includesa finger for engaging said strand, and a surface for guiding said strandto said finger; and cam No references cited.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A MACHINE FOR WINDING A STRAND OF YARN ONTO A ROTATING PACKAGE ANDINCLUDING TRANSVERSE MEANS FOR DIRECTING SAID STRAND ONTO SAID PACKAGE,WHEREIN SAID PACKAGE IS BROUGHT FROM REST CONDITION UP TO SPEED WHILESAID TRANSVERSE MEANS IS MOVING, THE IMPROVEMENT THEREIN COMPRISING; ANELONGATED MEMBER HAVING A YARN RECEIVING SECTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAIDSTRAND FOR DELIVERY TO SAID TRANSVERSE MEANS, A YARN DISCHARGE END FORRELEASING SAID STRAND TO SAID TRANSVERSE MEANS, AND MEANS FOR ADVANCINGSAID STRAND FROM THE RECEIVING SECTION TO THE DISCHARGE END, SENSINGMEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID STRAND DURING ITS INITIAL ADVANCE TOWARD SAIDDISCHARGE END; AND A YARN CARRIER OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO ENGAGEMENT OFSAID YARN WITH SAID SENSING MEANS TO REDEPOSIT SAID STRAND ON SAIDRECEIVING SECTION WHEREBY TO INDUCE FURTHER ADVANCE OF SAID STRAND FROMSAID RECEIVING SECTION TO SAID DISCHARGE END OF SAID MEMBER.